Spy Journal 3.0 - softwarehttps://www.spyjournal.biz/taxonomy/term/42/all
enGetting started in business with technologyhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/getting-started-business-technology
<p>Quite regularly I come across people who are just starting out in business. Often this is due to dissatisfaction with a corporate career, change in circumstances or location. Many older people who are made redundant or leave their jobs feel they have little job prospects and decide to start a new business. Many are just starting something alongside their existing work hoping it will be enough to let them quit at some point in the future.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/2013-08-16-Alex-Hughes-084.jpg"><img title="2013-08-16 Alex Hughes 084" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-16 Alex Hughes 084" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/2013-08-16-Alex-Hughes-084_thumb.jpg" width="240" align="right" height="360" /></a>Some (not all) talk to an accountant or lawyer and set up the right business structure for their new enterprise. Unfortunately a common mistake many make is to not talk to a trusted advisor about their technology requirements. Too often I am called into help after the investment in retail consumer technology has been made already. Often it is too late to change things, funds have been spent and computers, tablets, printers and phones have been acquired.</p>
<p>The mistakes I have had to fix include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Retail consumer level routers that are not able to handle the demands of a small business</li>
<li>PCs that were purchased with retail licences of the operating system, office productivity software etc.</li>
<li>Tablets and phones on retail or prepaid phone plans and accounts</li>
<li>Cheap PCs that were physically not capable of meeting the demands of the office software installed on them</li>
<li>Hodge podge of retail cloud services, email accounts and domain names (usually no domain name) and no professionally integrated solutions</li>
<li>Cheap printers that have high consumable costs and cannot handle the demands of a small office</li>
<li>No understanding of customer data management</li>
<li>No backup solution (or an untested hope and pray solution) or Business Continuity Plans (BCP)</li>
<li>and so on</li>
</ul>
<!--break--><!--break--><p>Note the common theme is retail. The retail versions of software is usually cheaper for a reason – it is missing components that businesses use. And maybe they don’t need them when it is one person but as they grow and expand saving $20 now means spending hundreds more later on. By cobbling together “free” services and retail solutions like Gmail or ISP based email addresses, prepaid phone plans and the like, these small and micro businesses think they are saving money, but they always spend more than they saved fixing the mess they get themselves into when something goes wrong as it invariably does.</p>
<p>So my upfront advice to any new business or person contemplating a new business is this.</p>
<ul>
<li>Get yourself a trusted IT advisor. We act in this capacity for most of our customers.</li>
<li>Treat them like your lawyer or accountant. Expect to pay professional rates and get professional advice. Tell them everything you plan to do.</li>
<li>Ask them to help you build an IT plan that covers at least 3 years of your business plan and allows for growth, expansion, additional staff and locations.</li>
<li>Consider cloud services carefully (more on this in future posts), ensure there is a BCP, a backup solution that is tested, and if possible regular maintenance contracts ensuring everything is maintained.</li>
<li>Ensure that critical assets can be replaced quickly without loss of data and minimal downtime.</li>
<li>Check your insurance policies cover equipment loss and data recovery.</li>
<li>Ensure data can be protected, and portable devices (laptops, phones and tablets) can be remotely wiped if stolen or lost.</li>
<li>Ensure purchased or leased equipment is running professional levels of software (not home consumer versions) for future compatibility and that equipment is using latest generation hardware. Typically cheap computers are running hardware that is 2-3 generations old. This will cost you more in the long run.</li>
</ul>
https://www.spyjournal.biz/getting-started-business-technology#commentshardwarephonessoftwareCloudBack To Basics Informationhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/crss/node/1330Fri, 21 Mar 2014 07:17:05 +0000jethro1330 at https://www.spyjournal.bizBacking up your Cloud Solutionshttps://www.spyjournal.biz/backing-your-cloud-solutions-0
<p>We have been using <a href="https://www.cloudhq.net/" target="_blank">CloudHQ</a> for over 12 months now and have a premium account. We use it to synchronise Evernote data to Skydrive as word docs, archive our data (keep snapshots) and backup data from one service to another. Cloud space is free, but losing your data costs a lot. I can heartily recommend <a href="https://www.cloudhq.net/" target="_blank">CloudHQ</a>.</p>
<p>Here is some information to take into account and consider:</p>
<p>Below are 3 of the biggest challenges when using multiple cloud apps:</p>
<ol>
<li>Team Collaboration: <br />When multiple apps are used, the data sometimes doesn't get added to the project in a timely manner is lost. <a href="https://www.cloudhq.net/" target="_blank">cloudHQ</a> increases collaboration by syncing the files you select within your cloud apps with other cloud apps, making it easily accessible and editable in real-time by other project team collaborators. </li>
<li>Data Integration: <br />Most people use more than 3 cloud apps. It's hard to keep all your data in one place. For example, while <a href="http://evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a> is excellent for mobile use, <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/home" target="_blank">Dropbox</a>, <a href="https://www.box.com/" target="_blank">Box</a>, and <a href="https://skydrive.live.com/" target="_blank">Skydrive</a> are excellent for storage and sharing. <a href="https://www.cloudhq.net/" target="_blank">cloudHQ</a> allows you to sync them all together, keeping all your data synced between cloud apps, making integration easy!</li>
<li>Data Backup: <br />It's a little scary to know that if you keep all your data in one cloud service then you could lose it all really easily. For example, if you use <a href="http://docs.google.com/" target="_blank">Google docs</a> then a bug or accidental deletion can quickly cause the loss of all your documents. Replicating and syncing Google Drive docs to other cloud apps (converted to MS Office or PDF format) will give you powerful, but easy data backup solution.</li>
<p> <a href="http://spyjournal.biz/files/cloudhq1.jpg"><img title="cloudhq1" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="cloudhq1" src="http://spyjournal.biz/files/cloudhq1_thumb.jpg" width="585" height="431" /></a></p></ol>
<p><a href="http://spyjournal.biz/files/cloudhq2.jpg"><img title="cloudhq2" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="cloudhq2" src="http://spyjournal.biz/files/cloudhq2_thumb.jpg" width="585" height="248" /></a></p>
<!--break--><!--break-->https://www.spyjournal.biz/backing-your-cloud-solutions-0#commentsbackupsCloudhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/crss/node/1326Wed, 18 Dec 2013 21:36:57 +0000jethro1326 at https://www.spyjournal.bizBacking up the cloudhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/backing-cloud
<p>I have been using cloud technology for a long time. I store large amounts of my data and information in numerous cloud services. <a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/cloudhq.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="cloudhq" border="0" alt="cloudhq" align="right" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/cloudhq_thumb.jpg" width="240" height="71" /></a>Some are free and some I pay for. Some I control (on my own servers) and some I am at the mercy of the provider. Some data I want to share with other users, either read only or read write. Some I want to have available to me wherever I am or on what ever device I am using.</p>
<p>Here are some examples:</p>
<ul>
<li>Email – using Microsoft Exchange, I use one account on my own server, 1 on a clients server, and 2 on <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/" target="_blank">Microsoft Office 365</a> servers. I can access all my email, contacts, tasks and calendar from any device I choose or any location in the world where I have internet access.</li>
<li>Photos – I use <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alborath/" target="_blank">Flickr</a> and <a href="https://skydrive.live.com/" target="_blank">Skydrive</a>.</li>
<li>Data – I primarily use <a href="http://box.net/" target="_blank">Box</a> and <a href="https://www.dropbox.com" target="_blank">Dropbox</a>. – I share with staff and family. I also share files to customers using Dropbox. I also have a <a href="https://drive.google.com" target="_blank">Google Drive</a> account and <a href="https://skydrive.live.com/" target="_blank">Skydrive</a>.</li>
<li>Notes – I use <a href="https://evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a> and <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/" target="_blank">OneNote</a>. I share these to staff and family.</li>
<li>Collaboration – I use <a href="http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Sharepoint</a> on my own server and also on my <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/" target="_blank">Office 365</a> servers. I also use <a href="http://basecamp.com/" target="_blank">Basecamp</a> to work with The High Calling team.</li>
<li>Blogging – I use <a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/" target="_blank">this blog</a> on my own server. I also use <a href="http://twitter.com/spyjournal" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/spyjournal.biz" target="_blank">Facebook</a> heavily.</li>
</ul>
<h3>How do I back that all up?</h3>
<p>So the question arises – what happens when things change. How can I protect my data.</p>
<!--break--><!--break--><p>At home I have a SBS 2008 server, a Windows 2008 server, a QNAP NAS for data storage and various external drives for backups. I use two Windows Home Servers to backup all our PCs and virtual machines. I have backups of backups. But what about my cloud data? How can I be sure that I wont lose data where I do not have sovereignty?</p>
<p>Well I have discovered a cloud backup service called <a href="https://www.cloudhq.net" target="_blank">cloudHQ</a>. At the moment I am trialling it. (Disclaimer: I am also hoping to receive a premium subscription for 12 months by writing this blog post). For now I am very impressed. At the end of the day it is nothing that a person with the right skills couldn’t duplicate using some free tools on their PC, but for the average person (and even for techies who like mashing APIs together) this seems like the perfect solution.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cloudhq.net" target="_blank">cloudHQ</a> allows you to synchronise various services, once or continuously, backup services from one to another, and ensure that collaboration data like Evernote and Basecamp can be backed up in one central location.</p>
<h3>How do you use it?</h3>
<p>The <a href="https://www.cloudhq.net/dropbox/synch_wizard" target="_blank">process to get started</a> is very simple using a drag and drop wizard.</p>
<p>The free trial allows you to connect various services (using an authentication process) and then choose which direction and how frequently you want to synchronise.</p>
<p>For instance I chose to synchronise my Evernote Data with Dropbox. Thus I have a copy of all my Evernote Notebooks and notes synching as folders and files within a Dropbox folder – that is then synched across all my machines.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/image_220.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/image_thumb_222.png" width="599" height="474" /></a></p>
<p>There are lots of sub options for people who want to tweak. but these do not have to be touched by the average user. In fact the whole process of setting up a synch pair is very simple using a drag and drop interface within the browser.</p>
<p>Currently cloudHQ allows access to the following services:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/image_221.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/image_thumb_223.png" width="595" height="293" /></a></p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.cloudhq.net/dropbox/backup-google-docs" target="_blank">suggestions they have for using the service</a> include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Backup Google Docs to Dropbox - Continuously and in Real-Time</li>
<li>Continuously Backup Basecamp to Dropbox or Google Docs</li>
<li>Consolidate All Your Data in the Cloud</li>
<li>Migrate Data Between Google Apps Domains</li>
<li>Archive Dropbox Data to Google Docs</li>
<li>Simplify Collaboration – synch all the disparate services used by your team</li>
<li>Simplify Asset Management - keep files all in one place</li>
<li>Search or Edit All Your Files in Cloud from Google Docs</li>
</ul>
<p>One of the things I love about any service is good documentation. My developers will testify to how much I make them document! cloudHQ has very good documentation – with full “how to” FAQ articles for each type of objective. E.g. <a href="https://www.cloudhq.net/dropbox/sync-evernote-google-drive" target="_blank">How to Sync Evernote and Google Drive / Google Docs</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.cloudhq.net/dropbox/prices" target="_blank">How much does it cost</a>? There is a basic plan worth $49 a year or a premium plan for $99. The 15 day free trial does not give you access to all services but is certainly enough to get a simple backup completed between say Dropbox and Google Drive. cloudHQ are happy to provide free accounts for blogging about the service and also discounts for not for profits and special services and pricing for enterprise teams.</p>
https://www.spyjournal.biz/backing-cloud#commentsbackupsCloudhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/crss/node/1294Thu, 22 Nov 2012 23:03:56 +0000jethro1294 at https://www.spyjournal.bizSBS2008, Windows 7 and morehttps://www.spyjournal.biz/sbs2008-windows-7-and-more
<h3>SBS2008</h3>
<p>We have our new server commissioned and running.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/IMG_6704.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_6704" border="0" alt="IMG_6704" align="right" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/IMG_6704_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="184" /></a> Hardware Specs</p>
<ul>
<li>ASUS TS700-E4/RX8 Intel Core Xeon Server </li>
<li>2 x Intel Quad Core Xeon 5405 1.6GHz CPU </li>
<li>ASUS Server Mainboard </li>
<li>32GB of ECC Fully Buffered DDRII RAM (4 x 8GB) </li>
<li>12 DIMM slots support Quad channel DDR2 533/667 FBD up to 48GB </li>
<li>ASUS Pedestal Server Chassis with 730W Power Supply </li>
<li>2 x 300GB Seagate SAS Hard Drives </li>
<li>2 x 1TB Seagate Drives 24/7 </li>
<li>up to 8 hot-swap SAS or SATAII HDDs </li>
<li>Onboard RAID 0, 1, 1E </li>
<li>Hardware RAID 5 via optional ZCR RAID card </li>
<li>2 PCI-X 133/100 MHz (one support ZCR RAID card) </li>
<li>2 PCI-E x 8 slots </li>
<li>1 PCI-E x 16 (x8 link) </li>
<li>ASUS 16x DVD-RW Drive </li>
<li>Dual Intel Gigabit LAN </li>
<li>ASUS ASWM 2.0 &amp; Server Anti-virus License </li>
<li>3 Years Hardware Warranty </li>
<li>Powerware 5110/1500VA UPS </li>
</ul>
<p>We are running SBS2008 which works very nicely. We found that there is a dearth of how to’s out there on the web in relation to a number of specific configuration issues we came across but we seem to have solved most of them now. We did use <a href="http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/2009/04/sbs-2008-setup-checklist-v10.html">Philip’s excellent SBS 2008 setup list</a> as a starting point. We also found lots of good helpful stuff on his website. we were both doing similar migrations from SBS 2003. In our case we didn't use any migration tools but manually moved data and mail. I actually copied every users mail out of exchange into a PST file, and then re-imported them into the new box from the PST file. The main reason for this was to avoid bringing over corrupted profiles and other bits and pieces from the old server. The value of this paying off already with quick profile load times and no errors.</p>
<p>Here are some useful SBS2008 articles from Philip:</p>
<!--break--><!--break--><ul>
<li><a href="http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/2009/05/sbs-2008-and-self-issued-certificate.html">SBS 2008 and the Self-Issued Certificate</a></li>
<li><a href="http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/2009/05/signing-into-sharepoint-site-via.html">Signing Into the SharePoint Site Via the Windows 7 Favorite Link</a></li>
<li><a href="http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/2009/05/sbs-2008-hang-on-before-installing-wss.html">SBS 2008 – Hang On Before Installing WSS SP2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/2009/05/with-windows-7-and-sharepoint-who-needs.html">With Windows 7 and SharePoint, Who Needs A VPN? And … It Network Drive Maps!</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Windows 7 – Release Candidate</h3>
<p>We are very impressed with this. Big improvement over the beta with much better driver support, more stable and the UI has been changed subtly. The biggest things are probably unseen to most users, but as noted in Philips articles above the connections to sharepoint and the server are much better than Vista.</p>
<p>Some news and links here:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://on10.net/blogs/sarahintampa/Make-Media-Center-Black/">Make Media Center Black</a> – how to – link for <a href="http://www.hack7mc.com/2009/04/astrotoy7s-black-theme-for-media-center.html">Astrotoy7’s Black Theme for Media Center</a></li>
<li><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2009/05/12/media-streaming-with-windows-7.aspx">Media Streaming with Windows 7</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Office 2010 (Twenty-Ten)</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://blogs.technet.com/office2010/default.aspx">The Microsoft Office 2010 IT Blog</a> – subscribe to this <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/office2010/rss.xml">RSS feed</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Other Stuff</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.liveside.net/main/archive/2009/05/06/windows-live-hotmail-manage-all-your-email-accounts-from-hotmail.aspx">Windows Live Hotmail - Manage All Your Email Accounts From Hotmail</a> – great for the gen Y email kiddies</li>
<li><a href="http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2009/05/14/free-backup-software-gfi-backup-home-edition/">Free Backup Software - GFI Backup: Home Edition</a> – its FREE!</li>
<li><a href="http://laurelpapworth.com/ripple-social-network-influencers/">Ripple: Social Network Influencers</a> – awesome charts and explanations</li>
<li><a href="http://www.problogger.net/archives/2009/05/02/hunt-for-dead-links/">Hunt for Dead Links</a> – some great tools</li>
<li>Mash it up Film Fest – <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mashitup_filmfest">Myspace</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/mashitupfilmfest">YouTube</a></li>
</ul>
https://www.spyjournal.biz/sbs2008-windows-7-and-more#commentsMedia CenterOfficeSBS2008Windows 7backupsemailsocialhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/crss/node/1099Mon, 18 May 2009 23:05:18 +0000jethro1099 at https://www.spyjournal.bizWeekly Web Round uphttps://www.spyjournal.biz/weekly-web-round
<p>And what a week is has been – with all sorts of amazing announcements, reversals and more on the Australian Domain Registration front with Bottle Domains and the auDA (Australia’s Domain Name Authority) slugging it out in the Supreme Court. This press release sum sit up well - <a href="http://www.prwire.com.au/pr/12475/auda-recklessness-damages-australian-domain-industry" target="_blank">auDA recklessness damages Australian domain industry</a></p>
<h3>More Announcements:</h3>
<p><a href="http://andy-lee.com/blog/2009/04/rachel-anne-lee-is-born.html" target="_blank"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="zunehd2" border="0" alt="zunehd2" align="right" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/zunehd2.jpg" width="201" height="240" /> Andy and Carrie Lee had their little baby</a>. There was no sign of facial hair (fortunately!)</p>
<p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmac/archive/2009/04/17/service-pack-2-for-the-2007-microsoft-office-system-due-to-ship-april-28th.aspx" target="_blank">Service Pack 2 for the 2007 Microsoft Office System due to ship April 28th</a></p>
<p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmayhew/archive/2009/04/16/exchange-2010-beta-released.aspx" target="_blank">Exchange 2010 Beta Released</a></p>
<p>Office 2010 announced – official press release - <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2009/Apr09/04-15Office2010.mspx" target="_blank">Next Wave of Microsoft Office Products Will Redefine How People Work</a></p>
<p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/outlook/archive/2009/04/15/updated-version-of-outlook-connector-21-1-available.aspx" target="_blank">Updated Version of Outlook Connector 12.1 Available</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<h3>And some other news:</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.labnol.org/software/translate-outlook-emails-in-other-languages/8253/" target="_blank">Translate Your Outlook Emails into Other Languages</a></p>
<p>Word Team Blog blogger Joannie Stangeland started up a vodcast series called <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/feeds/office/en-us/WritersGuide.xml"><em>A Writer's Guide to Microsoft Office</em></a>.</p>
<p>Tonight the site <a href="http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=4120">WMpoweruser</a> leaked the image of the Zune HD – and world is awash with rumours surrounding its specs and capabilities – looks like a device that is way in front of any Apple iPod products with rumours of HDMI, HD display, touch screen, HD Radio and WiFi.</p>
<p>Robin Good has a fantastic guide on <a href="http://www.masternewmedia.org/how-to-blog-anonymously-and-maintain-control-of-your-personal-privacy-guide/" target="_blank">How To Blog Anonymously And Maintain Control Of Your Personal Privacy</a>. He lists techniques, tools and other strategies.</p>
<p>He also has written this one <a href="http://www.masternewmedia.org/how-to-embed-and-display-rss-feeds-on-any-web-page-best-rss-to-html-publishing-tools/" target="_blank">How To Embed And Display RSS Feeds On Any Web Page: Best RSS-To-HTML Publishing Tools</a> – linking to lots of great tools.</p>
<!--break--><!--break-->https://www.spyjournal.biz/weekly-web-round#commentsOfficeOutlookWordgadgetsmp3Bloggingdomain namesRSS Feedshttps://www.spyjournal.biz/crss/node/1083Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:00:25 +0000jethro1083 at https://www.spyjournal.bizGmail cannot destroy Outlookhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/gmail-cannot-destroy-outlook
<p>This article is in a direct response to an article on Slate subtitled How Gmail destroyed Outlook. Farhad Manjoo has written an article explaining how to use Google Gears to take your Gmail account offline. However he has badly titled it <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2210090/">The Best E-Mail Program Ever</a> and subtitled it How Gmail destroyed Outlook.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/Outlook2007.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Outlook2007" border="0" alt="Outlook2007" align="left" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/Outlook2007_thumb.jpg" width="126" height="123" /></a> <a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/gmail.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="gmail" border="0" alt="gmail" align="right" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/gmail_thumb.jpg" width="128" height="58" /></a> If he had just left it titled something like Google Gears provides Gmail with offline capability I wouldnt have minded. But to attempt to use that feature to claim that Gmail is the best program ever or to even more ridiculously claim that Gmail has somehow destroyed Outlook as a result is farcical at best and completely misleading and untrue.</p>
<p>OK lets look at what he says and why.</p>
<!--break--><!--break--><p>&#160;</p>
<p>First of all to explain some things.</p>
<p>Gmail is actually 2 separate things. It is an email account – that is it provides users with a email address that can be used in any email client using POP3, SMTP and or IMAP protocols to send and receive email. It is also a online email application, using a browser web page to enable access to your email. It has some cool features including conversation threading, search, each email “page” has a permalink. and some more dubious features such as the ability to search through your email and provide targeted advertising based on the content of your email.</p>
<p>Outlook on the other hand is only one thing. It is just an email client. That is, it can be used to provide access to any email account using POP3, SMTP, IMAP and connection with exchange servers.</p>
<p>However the comparisons between them are varied. Some of these are subjective and come down to personal taste. Others are very objective and can not be argued against.</p>
<p>Note – this comparison is between the applications client not the email address.</p>
<h3>Brief (non comprehensive comparison between the Outlook and Gmail email applications.</h3>
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="390">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Feature</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Gmail</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Outlook</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Can be used to read your POP3 email online</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Can be used to read your POP3 email offline</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes – using Google gears a secondary application that needs to be downloaded and installed (except when using Chrome). Even then requires time to download emails – its is not immediate.</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Built in</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Can be used to recieve and send mail from multiple account simultaneously</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">No</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Can connect to exchange email accounts</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">No</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Has built in compatibility with other productivity tools like calendar, Task lists, categorisation and tagging features, reminder services</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Limited</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Can be used with encryption features to provide secure email</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">No</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Integrates with your desktop search so you can find email and documents about the same subject all in one place</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">No</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes (with Vista as an OS) – even better with the <a href="http://www.xobni.com/">Xobni plugin</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Search attachments</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">No</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes (with Vista as an OS) – even better with the <a href="http://www.xobni.com/">Xobni plugin</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Integrates with Other office applications (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) for sending mail and saving mail (One Note)</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">No</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Can be accessed online away from&#160; the desktop</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Limited – Yes with Outlook connector and live accounts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="130">Can be shared online an offline with other users</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Only if you give them your password</td>
<td valign="top" width="130">Yes – through delegation rights (requires exchange)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Ok the last one isn’t really fair, but that’s because of the added benefit of using exchange which most corporate users have and take for granted. Of course that opens up another whole world of email management that Gmail cant possibly replicate or be compared to.</p>
<p>One of the biggest “features” Farhad is using to base his article on here is that Google Gears takes your mail offline. Well yes it does, but, only if you ask it to. It takes time, can be several minutes through to several hours. So unless you know before hand that you are going to be offline line and plan this (e.g. before getting on a plane) even this feature has limited use. I have used the Google Gears application to take my Google reader offline and it takes some time to download all the feeds to the local hard drive. If your internet access is cut due to some other reason, the Gmail client is about as useless as any other internet page.</p>
<p>My <a href="http://fray.slate.com/discuss/forums/2386827/ShowThread.aspx?ArticleID=2210090#2386827">comment is posted on the Slate website titled Gmail cant destroy Outlook</a>. The text is below.</p>
<p>This article has an extremely misleading and totally incorrect title. Gmail cannot and has not destroyed outlook. In fact Outlook makes Gmail work well. Any online mail client with a very limited ability to do rudimentary email management will never take over from a desktop client that has so many more powerful abilities. True the Google gears offline application is great. I use it for my Google reader. I do however prefer outlook for RSS feeds and for email where I have to do anything more than just read them. Corporates who have any sensitive information being emailed will never use an application like Gmail to handle their email. Outlook has features tied into Exchange that cannot possible be replicated in Gmail. Applications like <a href="http://www.xobni.com/">XOBNI</a> and Vista search make finding email in Outlook extremely painless and work much better than Gmail's search. This article would have been better titled, how to take your Gmail offline with Google gears - an alternate choice if you do <u>not</u> have Outlook. Running a Gmail account in Outlook is a way better choice for offline email management. </p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<h3>Summary</h3>
<p>I would like to point out to Farhad that he has written a quite nice article about how to use Google Gears to take your email offline. He should have titled his article about that.</p>
<p>He has not in anyway shape or form written anything that explains how the lightweight Gmail web client – even combined with Google Gears can in any way compete with Outlook as a email client let alone destroy it!</p>
<p>Rather Outlook can be used to enhance Gmail’s email service by providing a great desktop client to read your Gmail email in.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/outlook_vs_gmail_header.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: 0px" title="outlook_vs_gmail_header" border="0" alt="outlook_vs_gmail_header" align="right" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/outlook_vs_gmail_header_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="94" /></a></p>
<h3>&#160;</h3>
<h3>Other references</h3>
<p> Lifehacker has a (rather dated now) <a href="http://lifehacker.com/398778/outlook-vs-gmailthe-definitive-comparison">comparison between Outlook and Gmail</a>. Most of the features they give the win to Outlook for functionality but to Gmail for usability and simpleness. Most of the reasons for that are tied into the complexity that Outlook offers, and in most cases using the <a href="http://www.xobni.com/">Xobni plugin</a> has directly solved these user interface things.</p>
https://www.spyjournal.biz/gmail-cannot-destroy-outlook#commentsOutlookSearchemailhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/crss/node/1012Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:41:17 +0000jethro1012 at https://www.spyjournal.bizWeb RoundUphttps://www.spyjournal.biz/web-roundup
<p>I have had so much new stuff come over my desk the last few days I haven’t got time to try it or even review it properly. There is a lot of new innovative things going on at the moment on the web.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/roundup2.jpg"><img title="roundup2" height="320" alt="roundup2" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/roundup2_thumb.jpg" width="196" align="right" border="0" /></a> Here is a randomly ordered selection of stuff that I thought was cool or useful.</p>
<h3>Large File Sharing Services</h3>
<p>(also added to my original large file sharing post)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pando.com/">Pando</a> is free <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P2P">P2P</a> software that makes downloading, streaming and sharing large media files fast, easy and fun. Need to <a href="http://www.pando.com/email">email</a> large attachments, <a href="http://www.pando.com/IM">IM</a> a folder, or publish your downloadable videos to the <a href="http://www.pando.com/web">Web</a>? Maybe you'd just like to watch full-screen HD <a href="http://channels.pando.com/">Internet TV</a>. Meet <a href="http://www.pando.com/">Pando</a>.</p>
<h3><a href="http://workspace.officelive.com/">Microsoft Office Live Workspace</a> <strong>Beta</strong></h3>
<h4>Save your documents to the Web—for free!</h4>
<h5>Access files from anywhere</h5>
<ul>
<li>View documents from almost any computer with a Web browser </li>
<li>No more flash drives—files are there when and where you need them </li>
<li>Password-protected sharing; you control who views and edits your work</li>
</ul>
<h5>Work with programs you know</h5>
<ul>
<li>Save over 1,000 Microsoft Office documents in one online place </li>
<li>Open and save files from familiar programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint </li>
<li>Synchronize contact, task, and event lists with Outlook</li>
<p> Free Photo Shop tutorials at <a href="http://luxa.org/">Luxa</a></p></ul>
<p><a href="http://www.skyscanner.net/">SkyScanner</a> is a Flight Search site that works for other countries than US.</p>
<p>Liveside has a wrap up of a whole range of <a href="http://www.liveside.net/main/archive/2008/11/03/live-mesh-pc-mac-and-mobile.aspx">LiveMesh reviews, tutorials and interviews on this page</a>. They also have a <a href="http://www.liveside.net/main/archive/2008/11/02/an-early-look-at-live-mesh-for-mobile.aspx">review of Live Mesh for Mobile</a>. I cant wait to get my hands on this here in Australia once they release it. Will make taking photos with your phone a completely different experience. Imagine taking photos, and knowing that they will automatically synch with your desktop, and your friends and families as well. Without having to do anything other than set it up!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.lijit.com/">Lijit</a> is awesome. Robin Good interviewed the CEO Todd Vernon. <a href="http://www.lijit.com/">Lijit</a> <strong>is a free solution</strong> that helps you increase page views and <a href="http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2008/05/08/content_strategy_key_elements_to.htm">reader engagement</a> on your own site. By placing a non-intrusive search box on the side of your web pages,<a href="http://www.masternewmedia.org/search_tools_and_technologies/search-aggregators/search-aggregated-social-media-and-selected-content-sources-with-Lijit-review-20071022.htm">Lijit</a> scans your site and discretely suggests your readers for additional relevant content. I have installed this on this website and will be more fully integrating it as time goes on. Try the Lijit search box on the right hand side.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx">Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope</a> enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope, bringing together imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world. Experience narrated guided tours from astronomers and educators featuring interesting places in the sky.</p>
<p>This news article on <a href="http://publishing2.com/2008/10/29/guardian-launches-full-rss-feeds-first-media-company-not-to-suppress-rss-adoption/">Publishing 2.0 talks about the evolution of RSS to mainstream as the Guardian launches full RSS feeds</a>. Interesting reading and another nail on the coffin of heritage media that refuses to welcome new technology and savvy readers. Here’s the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/insideguardian/2008/oct/22/full-fat-rss-feed-upgrade">original article on the Guardian website</a>.</p>
<p>Microsoft Outlook Team Blog has a series they have started titled <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/outlook/archive/tags/Living+in+Outlook/default.aspx">Living in Outlook</a>. If like me you spend 23% of your time in Outlook (<a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/node/403">how do I know that?</a>) then you will enjoy the tips and hints here to make you more productive.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mostlylisa.com/">Mostly Lisa</a> has been doing some cool photography experiments lately. I liked the whole concept of the <a href="http://mostlylisa.com/2008/10/adventures-in-light-painting/">light paining techniques</a> she tried recently. If you are a serious photographer then this is something to try!</p>
https://www.spyjournal.biz/web-roundup#commentsLiveMeshOutlookphotographySearchBloggingFile SharingtravelCool Toolshttps://www.spyjournal.biz/crss/node/953Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:48:10 +0000jethro953 at https://www.spyjournal.bizCodinghttps://www.spyjournal.biz/coding
<p>Today (yesterday now) I wrote a real nice application for a client. It did exactly what they asked it do, though not what they wanted!. Its funny – no matter how much you coach the client through the specifications, and get them to agree to it in writing they always manage to come out afterwards and say “what I really wanted was…”</p>
<p>I found this cool cartoon that summarises how we don’t actually work, but how it feels sometimes.</p>
<p><img height="274" src="http://www.abberley.co.uk/asap/images/You_lot_start_coding.gif" width="386" vspace="20" border="0" /></p>
<p><strong>You lot start coding... <br />...I'll go and see what they want.</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong></p>
<p>Courtesy of <a href="http://www.abberley.co.uk/asap/index.htm">http://www.abberley.co.uk/asap/index.htm</a></p>
https://www.spyjournal.biz/coding#commentsSoftware Developmentfunnyhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/crss/node/940Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:16:58 +0000jethro940 at https://www.spyjournal.bizLive Meshhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/live-mesh
<p>The want for easy as sharing of photos, documents and what not between your computer, your relatives computer, and your friends computer, is now answered through the words <a href="https://www.mesh.com/Welcome/Welcome.aspx">Live Mesh</a>. <br />It is rather brilliant, <em>very</em> useful, and so easy to understand and use. </p>
<p>My favourite best friend and I often have spent long periods of time uploading photos using photo swap on msn, and I am pleased to say those days are over. All I have to do is create a Live Mesh folder, invite her to join it, and once she accepts she can view and use any photos or files I put in that folder, and she can put any of her things in that folder for me to use as well. It’s all about easy sharing. </p>
<p>My home computer, my work computer, my best friends computer, and her laptop, can all be synchronized in the same folder allowing easy access for whatever files we want to share. And, my home computer, my work computer, and my bosses computer, can all be synchronized in another folder, easy as sharing.</p>
<p>Here’s a rough step by step of the getting started process. It’s easier done than said :)</p>
<p>Before you get started with Live Mesh, you must make sure you’re Windows Live ID is registered with a country that Live Mesh is valid for. These are currently – Australia, USA, NZ, Canada, UK, India. <br />Your Windows Live ID may not be registered with any country at all, that was what I found with mine. <br />The screenshot below is the page you’ll probably be looking at when you attempt to discover what country your Windows Live ID is registered as. <a href="https://login.live.com/ppsecure/secure.srf?lc=2057&amp;id=10&amp;ru=https://accountservices.passport.net/default.srf%3Fvv%3D600%26lc%3D2057&amp;tw=1200&amp;fs=1&amp;kv=7&amp;ct=1219514891&amp;ems=1&amp;seclog=10&amp;ver=6.0.11398.0&amp;tpf=aa0ede7e97e108611a029f977cd1fc32">Login to your Live ID account</a>. Underneath your Birth Date is “Registered information” in blue text. When you click that, you’ll see what country you are or aren’t registered as and can edit it.&#160;&#160; <br />&#160;<a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/image_75.png"><img title="image" height="389" alt="image" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/image_thumb_78.png" width="604" border="0" /></a> </p>
<p>Now, getting set up with Live Mesh….</p>
<ol>
<li>Go to - <a href="http://www.livemesh.com">www.livemesh.com</a> </li>
<li>Sign in with your MSN/ Windows Live account </li>
<li>Select the orange option, Add Device. </li>
<li>Download the software and install. </li>
<li>Just follow the steps. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/image_71.png"><img title="image" height="67" alt="image" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/image_thumb_74.png" width="244" align="right" border="0" /></a> Once you're installed. There should be a blue icon in your desktop tray, it’ll look like this ---&gt; </li>
<li>When you click that icon, a box should appear. That'll show you any folders you have. Though you probably haven't created any yet.&#160; <br /><a href="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/image_72.png"><img title="image" height="288" alt="image" src="http://www.spyjournal.biz/files/image_thumb_75.png" width="204" align="right" border="0" /></a> The box will look like the blue screenshot on the right ---&gt; </li>
<li>Before doing anything else, create a folder in your My Documents folder called &quot;My Live Mesh Folders&quot; or something like that. </li>
<li>In Live Desktop (online), there'll be a folder &quot;create new folder&quot;. Select that and create folders from there. </li>
<li>You need to synchronise your folder with your PC. </li>
<li>Remember that blue icon in your desktop tray, when selecting that, the box comes up, and in the bottom right hand corner of the box, the option should be &quot;View recent folder activity&quot;, within that you can select manage folders. Select it and a window will open showing you any folders you've created. The folders will be light blue. </li>
<li>Right click the folder and choose sync to this device. </li>
<li>Navigate to the My Live Mesh Folders in My Documents that you created before, select it and then ok. </li>
<li>The light blue folder should turn to a darker blue and have a little black arrow on it. </li>
<li>After that you can invite your friends and family to synchronise the folder with their PC's too. </li>
<li>To invite them, the option will be in the blue box that opens when you click the blue icon in your desktop tray. </li>
<li>When you open one of your Live Mesh folders, it should start filling up with any photos etc that you put in there, and anything anyone else who is synchronised with the folder has put in there too. </li>
</ol>
<p>You may or may not be interested in viewing a Live Mesh video that’s been posted on YouTube.</p>
<p>It is not a video that explains how to use Live Mesh, it simply shows you how wonderful it is to be able to synchronize things in life… it doesn’t go for very long, it’s just really cool to watch the water in the video. You’ll know what I mean by that if you watch it. And now that I’ve said that, you’re probably intrigued and will now watch it. I hope you do. It’s got nice colours and fun water shots.</p>
<h3>Anyway, Live Mesh. Try it out, you’ll find it real handy, I’m sure!</h3>
https://www.spyjournal.biz/live-mesh#commentsWindows Livebackupshttps://www.spyjournal.biz/crss/node/919Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:49:25 +0000amanda919 at https://www.spyjournal.bizJoel Spolsky launches StackOverflowhttps://www.spyjournal.biz/joel-spolsky-launches-stackoverflow
<p>Joel Spolsky, one of the worlds leading authorities on software development, has launched a new questions and answer website called <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/">StackOverflow</a>.</p>
<p>Here is <a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/09/15.html">his rationale behind the decision</a> to do so.</p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://spyjournal.biz/files/stackoverflowlogo250.png"><img title="stackoverflow-logo-250" height="67" alt="stackoverflow-logo-250" src="http://spyjournal.biz/files/stackoverflowlogo250_thumb.png" width="240" align="right" border="0" /></a> You know what drives me crazy? Programmer Q&amp;A websites. You know what I’m talking about. You type a very specific programming question into Google and you get back:</p>
<ul>
<li>A bunch of links to discussion forums where very unknowledgeable people are struggling with the same problem and getting nowhere, </li>
<li>A link to a Q&amp;A site that purports to have the answer, but when you get there, the answer is all encrypted, and you’re being asked to sign up for a paid subscription plan, </li>
<li>An old Usenet post with the exact right answer—for Windows 3.1—but it just doesn’t work anymore, </li>
<li>And something in Japanese.</li>
</ul>
<p><img alt="" src="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/15_3.JPG" align="right" border="0" />If you’re very lucky, on the fourth page of the search results, if you have the patience, you find a seven-page discussion with hundreds of replies, of which 25% are spam advertisements posted by bots trying to get googlejuice for timeshares in St. Maarten, yet some of the replies are actually useful, and someone whose name is “Anon Y. Moose” has posted a decent answer, grammatically incorrect though it may be, and which contains a devastating security bug, but this little gem is buried amongst a lot of dreck.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And here is the <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/about">About</a> details from Stack Overflow it self:</p>
<blockquote><p>Stack Overflow is a programming Q &amp; A site that's free. Free to ask questions, free to answer questions, free to read, free to index, built with plain old HTML, no fake rot13 text on the home page, no scammy google-cloaking tactics, no salespeople, no JavaScript windows dropping down in front of the answer asking for $12.95 to go away. You can register if you want to collect karma and win valuable flair that will appear next to your name, but otherwise, it's just free. And fast. Very, very fast.</p>
<p>We don't run Stack Overflow. You do. Stack Overflow is collaboratively built and maintained by your fellow programmers. Once the system learns to trust you, you'll be able to edit anything, much like <a href="http://wikipedia.org/">Wikipedia</a>. With your help, we can build good answers to every imaginable programming question together. No matter what programming language you use, or what operating system you call home -- better programming is our goal.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I have already created an account and answered a question on, you guessed it, Excel and VBA.</p>
<p>If you are a programmer then Check StackOverflow out and see if it works for you. Be part of the community, ask questions and answer them.</p>
https://www.spyjournal.biz/joel-spolsky-launches-stackoverflow#commentsSoftware Developmenthttps://www.spyjournal.biz/crss/node/901Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:15:08 +0000jethro901 at https://www.spyjournal.biz